


Not Quite Cinderella

by Chibi_Pix



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, I thought it would be cute, Oneshot, Plance Kids, children have the DotU names, cute childish loving, female pronouns for katie, plance, using katie name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24755248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibi_Pix/pseuds/Chibi_Pix
Summary: Katie goes over photos with her children when she's brought to a memory of how she and Lance met.
Relationships: Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 11
Kudos: 24





	Not Quite Cinderella

Katie never expected to marry the man she met when they were just children. Some would call it fate, some would call it coincidence, but Katie would call it velocity and gravity working in their usual behavior and somehow getting them to meet. But there she was, many years later, and going through childhood photos her and Lance’s mothers put together in one album to share with the next generation. Better than that, she was going through the photos with her twin sons, one on either side of her, asking questions about their parents and them growing up. Then came the ultimate question.

“Mommy, how did you and Daddy meet?” Chip asked.

“I bet it was at a science fair.” Darrell chimed in.

“Let’s just say it wasn’t quite the typical Cinderella story.” Katie snickered a bit as she thought about that day.

Katie had probably been six years old when she went to the park with her brother. Matt wanted to play on the jungle gym and hang out with is friends while Katie was content in swinging alone. Back and forth, going as high as she could, her legs properly moving with each direction so she could keep the momentum going.

Her mother often told the small girl that if she was going to play at the park, it was better to wear her tennis shoes. They could be secured and let her run around, climb, and play all she desired. Of course, being stubborn and liking to learn for herself, Katie didn’t listen and said she would be fine with her sandals, wanting to wear them because they were cute and went with her new dress much better than her other shoes did.

Enjoying herself, Katie continued to kick or tuck her feet in perfect sync with the forward and backward motion. She was glad she let her mom convince her to pull her hair up into a ponytail, keeping it out of her face a little more. This allowed the air to hit her much more easily and in a satisfying manner, giving her the sensation of flying.

Not far from where Katie was swinging, there was another child, not much older than she was, who was also visiting the park with his siblings. His name was Lance. He was playing on some park equipment, climbing ladders and going across suspended bridges. His favourite part were the slides, regardless if they were open top or enclosed tubes.

Lance had been at one of the taller towers, using the rope bridge method to get there. There was a wooden ladder along the side of the tower and then platforms, but he felt the bridge was more adventurous feeling, as though he was traversing through a jungle of sorts, seeking out a lost treasure. Was was the playground climbers accompanied with the slides that truly pleased the boy.

Lance reached the tower and smiled at the enclosed, spiraling slide. “Behold, evildoers of all kinds!” he called out, pretending he was being pursued by some sort of villain. “For you will never capture me! I will find the princess and escape these dense jungles!” He grinned and grabbed the bar above the slide. He jumped a bit and swung his legs forward. With the momentum and aim being perfect, he shot through, speeding down the plastic tube and down to the end where he practically fell off. “Oof. I meant to do that.”

Not far from the slide that Lance exited from, Katie was still on the swing set, some yards mostly safely between them. There was an emphasis on it being _mostly_ safe. This was where her mother’s suggestion of tennis shoes would have been good had she listened. Going forward for the umpteenth, Katie kicked her feet ahead of her. And it was that one time that one of her sandals, which had been getting looser and looser on her foot with each kick, finally flew off, going up in the air.

Katie never intended for it to work that way. The height, the trajectory, and the right amount of velocity to keep it going, everything seemed to work out in some strange way. In the end, just as Lance stood up, he got hit in the head. The sandal came down in that perfect timing and smacked him on top of his head and bounced off, managing to land in his hands that he held out in front of him a bit. Thankfully, Lance had not been hurt by it.

Seeing where her shoe landed, Katie looked horrified. She managed to get herself slowed down by the time the boy realized who owned the shoe and walked over to her. “I’m so-”

“I have found the princess!” Lance declared, confusing Katie at first. Then she realized he was turning the unfortunate yet lucky incident into part of his game, recalling hearing him cheering and shouting words and playing pretend, as most children their ages did. He knelt down like some sort of knight or prince and presented Katie her sandal. “If I may, Princess?”

“Um...” Katie wasn’t used to playing pretend games with others, but this boy seemed so happy and kid. She had seen him other times at the park, enjoying his time, whether he was playing alone or on his own. Nodding, Katie held out her foot and let Lance put the shoe back on. “I’m Katie.”

“Princess Katie.” Lance stood up and bowed his head. “I’m Lance.” He then held out his hand. “Shall we go on an adventure together?”

Katie stared. No one had ever asked her if she wanted to play with them before; she didn’t really have friends and kept to herself or her brother. But there Lance was, wanting to play with her, ready to take her on and adventure. “I’ve flown too far to turn back now when given the chance of an adventure.” she giggled a bit as she accepted his hand and stood up.

“A pilot? Yes! And a fine plane you have here. Perhaps after we find the treasure, you can fly us to safety?” Lance asked.

“We best be careful of sky pirates then.”

“If you protect me, I shall protect you.”

Many weekends, the two would meet up at the park and continue their adventures, letting the story go on. From the deep sea to the mountain paths, through their imaginations they traveled all over. And to think, it was all because of a shoe.

“I knelt before your mom to give her her shoe as a child,” Lance said as he leaned in the doorway leading to the living room, “and I gladly did the same many years later to propose to her.” He smiled softly. He had listened to his wife telling their children the story of their official meeting and it took him back to those days. He had seen her a few times but didn’t know how to approach her and talk to her. It was that shoe that got them to officially meet. “It’s no science fair, but it’s definitely memorable.”

Chip and Darrell were grinning, the two loving the story they were told. It was cute, fun, and a little bit romantic. “Did you have more adventures after you were married?” the twins asked in unison.

“We continue having adventures even now.” Lance went over and picked up his sons, one in each arm. He spun around, making the duo giggle in delight. “After all, we now have two other adventurers to join us.”

“Does that mean we can go to the park today?” Darrell asked, excitement shining in his eyes.

“I wanna go on an adventure!” Chip cheered.

“Only if your mom remembers to wear tennis shoes; I don’t know how often I can handle getting a shoe to the head.” Lance teased, making his children laugh in amusement.

“Matt would tell you that that hit knocked some sense into you and got you to talk to me finally.” Katie teased as she went over and kissed Lance. “Now then, who’s ready for an adventure?”

**Author's Note:**

> It was a cute idea that came to my mind when a small prompt was mentioned on the Conservatory. So, I ended up getting inspired and got this bit written.


End file.
